ABC proved today it’s a very, very, very smart network when it announced via Twitter that rookie half-hour comedies Cougar Town, Modern Family, and The Middle have all been awarded a full season of 22 episodes. Nice! The three series definitely deserve the vote of confidence.

And note that Yours Truly (meaning me) called it recently when I noted the apparent lack of enthusiasm for the one remaining sitcom in that two-hour block: Kelsey Grammer’s surprisingly unfunny Hank. Nary a mention of that comedy was made during today’s excellent news, but let’s see what the future brings.

Photo: Patricia …read more

According to reports from the usual suspects, joining last week’s early pickup Modern Family at ABC are the new Courteney Cox (Friends) comedy Cougar Town, the new Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) sitcom Hank, and the new Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Neil Flynn (Scrubs) comedy The Middle. Put a bit differently, ABC is stocking up on sitcoms starring proven comedy veterans from other proven comedies past and present. Smart move, if you ask me.
Cougar Town follows the adventures of a Florida-based single mother (Cox) of a teen son determined to maintain a successful career and a romantic life …read more

Reports this past week indicate two new sitcoms will have a home on Fox during the 2009–2010 season and, wouldn’t you know, both sound infinitely better than ‘Til Death.
News of a pickup for the single-camera comedy Sons of Tucson broke first, on Tuesday, May 12, although the network won’t officially announce its newcomers until the broadcast networks’ upfront presentations next week.
Sons focuses on three brothers (Davis Cleveland, Frank Dolce, and Troy Gentile) who hire a hustler, played by Reaper’s Tyler Labine, to pose as their wealthy father while the real deal is in prison for a white-collar boo boo.
Word of …read more

Sorry, Kristin Chenoweth fans, but I bear very bad news. Variety reports that NBC has declined to pick up the Pushing Daisies dynamo’s David E. Kelley pilot called Legally Mad.
Rumors had been flying that was the case since the network failed to mention the potential show during its “infront” announcement last Monday. The event was scheduled to tell the world about the slate of new series NBC intends to give a chance during the 2009–2010 season.
In addition to Chenoweth, the cast of the would-have-been drama included Eli Stone alumna Loretta Devine, as well as Charity Wakefield, Hugh Bonneville, …read more

It looks like Married… with Children’s Al Bundy — or at least Ed O’Neill, the actor who played him — is heading back to broadcast TV.
Reports indicate the ABC has picked up its first series of the 2009–2010 season unusually early, and it’s Twentieth Century Fox TV’s Modern Family. Formerly called My American Family, the ensemble project is from writers and producers Steve Levitan (Back to You, Just Shoot Me!, Wings) and Chris Lloyd (Back to You, Frasier, The Golden Girls).
According to Variety, the show “scored a great response” during pilot screenings, “giving the net reason to go ahead …read more

Fourth-place broadcast network NBC really demonstrated its determination to remain in that lowly position during The Peacock’s “Infront” presentation earlier today. Apparently, it cares not a lick about genuinely original yet thoroughly entertaining programs, as the confirmed cancellation of the stellar Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi cop dramedy Life proves.
Also confirmed as canceled are the God-awful remakes Kath & Kim and Knight Rider. It actually pains me to see a terrific series like Life lumped together with two shows that never should have made it past go in the first place. Given the upcoming primetime Leno fiasco, …read more

Well, there’s no doubt how much TBS loves Tyler Perry, the man responsible for one, going on two now, of the network’s most popular original series.
Yesterday, the basic-cable network announced that it has ordered an additional 80 — yes, eighty — episodes of Perry’s second sitcom, Meet the Browns, based on premiere ratings that are only surpassed by those that Perry’s first sitcom, House of Payne, earned when it debuted in June 2007. I must say I’m happy about this news because Meet the Browns has proven to be a funny and engaging comedy so far.
Variety reports that Meet …read more

In case you missed the news, rookie sitcoms Kath & Kim on NBC and Gary Unmarried on CBS have both received full-season orders of 22 and 20 episodes, respectively, from their home networks.
Considering the fact that neither show is posting impressive ratings, the pickups seem to demonstrate a new reality in the current climate of sluggish viewership: nurture the shows with potential to perform better in the future, or at least hang on to those shows you already have in the stable to keep your schedule free of holes.
Less-than-stellar average ratings of about 6 million (Kath & Kim) and 7.4 …read more

There’s doubly good news for Chuck fans of late. First NBC released the information that it has found the perfect thespians to play Captain Awesome’s (Ryan McPartlin) presumably awesome parents, and then the network announced earlier today that the dramedy has been picked up for a full season.
In the first case, Entertainment Weekly reports that TV veterans Morgan Fairchild (Friends, Falcon Crest) and Bruce Boxleitner (Babylon 5, Scarecrow and Mrs. King) will show up during Chuck’s sophomore season as Doctors Honey and Woody Woodcombe. Not loving the names at all, but at least the elder physicians will like …read more

NOTE: Pictures indicate series currently covered at Comedy Centric

Good to Go

Everybody Hates Chris — Full order

Reaper — 13 Episodes

The Game — Full order

On the Way
No new comedies

Given the Ax

Aliens in America — The biggest travesty of the upfront season

Photos: Newscom, except for Reaper (Michael Courtney/The CW)